Anthocyanin Microcapsule fromClitoria ternatea: Potential Bio-preservative and Blue Colorant for Baked Food Products

The stability of anthocyanins is greatly affected by pH and temperature, and thus their application in food products is limited. This study was aimed to develop an antibacterial food colorant using anthocyanin fromClitoria ternateaflowers by applying microencapsulation technology. Maltodextrin was used as a carrier agent in the spray drying process. The anthocyanin microcapsule was durable to the light exposure up to 21 days, and the best color stability was observed between the temperature range of - 20 degrees C to 4 degrees C. However, the color was sustained with approximately 50% of the stability index after 1 day exposure at 80 degrees C and 180 degrees C. On disk diffusion assay, the anthocyanin microcapsule manifested a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-bacteria. According to minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) assay, anthocyanin microcapsule exhibited bactericidal activity on all test bacteria, with the lowest MIC and MBC observed onEscherichia coli. The application of anthocyanin microcapsule on muffins has shown a significant inhibitory activity on foodborne bacteria. This study revealed the potential ofC. ternateaanthocyanin microcapsule as a bio-preservative, which can prolong the shelf life of baked food products.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated that the anthocyanin microcapsule from Clitoria ternatea has good antibacterial activity and color stability, making it suitable as a bio-preservative for food products.